The Current

Oscars 2019: A Lot of Love in the Room for “Roma” and “Black Panther”

We are at the ninety-minute mark, and the major questions of the evening are starting to shape up: “What does ‘Whiskey Cavalier’ mean?” and “Where do I get Angela Bassett’s anti-aging powers?” Michael Schulman has the line on some perhaps more accurate trends:

There’s a burst of applause in here every time “Roma” is mentioned,
even in the categories that it doesn’t win. Either Netflix has packed
the house or this is a good sign for its Best Picture chances. Then
again, people here seem excited for “Black Panther,” which has already
won two awards and feels like a symbol of Hollywood’s progressive
aspirations. Black women are winning, and winning proud!

Here at The New Yorker HQ, we are sustaining ourselves with some delicious silken-tofu stew.